Wednesday, July 26, 2017

A Series Of Mantel Events

Living-Room Project - The Mantel


I never wore make-up on a first date... It would have felt like cheating... I prefered the person facing me to know what he could get... And hoped he could see the beauty inside.

Je n'ai jamais porté de maquillage pour mes premiers rendez-vous. Cela aurait été de la triche. Je préférais que la personne en face de moi sache à quoi je ressemblais en vrai et j'espérais qu'il serait capable de voir la "beauté intérieure".

Cottage seems to have the same rule... On our first date, he showed me a living-room that had two walls in a two different shades of orange (really not my favourite colour), a wall covered in a wallpaper tthat was imitating  stone (in a real stone cottage...) and a wall covered with a very shiny and dark beadboard (but, relatively speaking, this one was my favourite...) He also had drywall on his ceiling covering his beams.


Cottage devait avoir la même règle... Pour notre premier rendez-vous, il me montra un salon qui avait deux murs de deux teintes d'orange différentes (une couleur que je n'apprécie pas particulièrement), un mur couvert d'un papier peint imitation pierre (un comble dans une maison en pierre) et un mur recouvert d'un lambris sombre et brillant de verni (mon mur préféré, quand même). Il avait aussi un magnifique plafond couvert de papier de verre qui recouvrait ses poutres.

Somehow I could see the beauty inside... One thing was really bugging me, though, there was no fireplace. And in my dreams, I could see myself decorating my mantel... Well, there were so many other boxes that Cottage ticked that I decided to settle in this very orangey-fireplaceless living-room nonetheless.


Mais, j'ai réussi à voir sa beauté intérieure. Un truc me dérangeait bien quand même : le fait qu'il n'y ait pas de cheminée. Dans tous mes rêves, je m'étais imaginée décorant mon manteau de cheminée. Mais Cottage remplissait tellement d'autres critères que je me suis installée dans ce salon orange et dépourvu de cheminée.

The living-room stayed in that state for a whole year before we began tearing it down. I was very hopeful that we would find a rustic stone mantel behind the drywall since, I knew there used to be a fireplace there - the chimney is still there!


Le salon est resté dans cet état pendant un an avant que l'on ne casse tout. J'espérais trouver derrière le placo une cheminée en pierre rustique puisque j'étais sûre qu'il y avait un conduit.

 
Unfortunately, all we could find was a dark hole. The fireplace had been distroyed at some point. There were tracing showing that it was a brick fireplace, though. We found bricks that were marked with the name of two nearby villages where bricks were made. A little unsettled as this was not what I was expecting, I asked the workers to keep the stone wall, but to cover the distroyed fireplace with drywall. I thought I'd find a solution later.


Malheureusement, on ne trouva qu'un sombre trou dans le mur. La cheminée avait été détruite à  un moment de l'histoire de la maison. Il restait juste des traces d'un ancien pourtour de cheminée en briques : on a découvert des briques marquées du nom de deux villages voisins qui possédaient alors des briquèteries. J'étais un peu déboussolée car je ne m'étais pas attendu à ça. J'ai demandé aux ouvriers de garder le mur en pierre et de recouvrir le coin cheminée de placo pensant trouver une solution plus tard.

Fastforward to a year later. It's summer. I drove with a then friend to an empty-you-attic fair located in a very small village about forty minutes from Cottage. We chat and laugh as we screen through the stands. We both have very different tastes, so I'm not worried that we could fall in love with the same thing! Suddenly, I stop in my tracks... There, standing on the sidewalks are three old wood mantels. The seller is getting them out of the old house that's just behind, explaining he doesn't want those "oldies" in his home... I know it's stupid of me, but I ask for the price... "twenty-five euros"... I look at my friend. "It won't fit in my small car, will it?" I know it won't. But she says, "Sure it will". I'm stupid for the second time of the day. I listen to her, I pay and I go pick the car to park nearer to this house.


Un an plus tard. C'est l'été. Je suis avec une amie dans un vide-grenier situé dans un petit village à une quarantaine de minutes de Cottage. On papote et on rit tout en inspectant les stands. Nous avons des goûts très différents et il n'y a donc pas de risque que l'on se batte pour une trouvaille. Soudain, je m'arrête net. Là, sur le trottoir, quelqu'un est en train de sortir d'une vieille maison des manteaux de cheminée en bois. Le couple est en train de débarrasser la maison de ses "vieilleries". Je sais que c'est stupide, mais je demande le prix. "Vingt-cinq euros". Je regarde mon amie : "Cela ne va pas rentrer dans ma voiture, hein ? " Je sais bien que non. Elle affirme : "Mais, si !" Une nouvelle fois, je me montre stupide, je l'écoute, je paie et je vais chercher la voiture pour la rapprocher.

Of course, it doesn' fit at all in the car. We're barely able to stuck one of the leg in while the rest desperately hang outside the trunk... Neither of us has anything red to attach to the mantel (in France, if you drive with something two long for your car, you're supposed to attach a red cloth to it to warn other drivers). But we decide to hit the road... The drive home lasts longer as I'm not driving fast, terrified at the idea of losing the mantel and of meeting any policemen. As soon as we see a bump in the road, we yell like teenagers on a rollercoaster at Disneyland... But we make it home safely... So does the mantel... But not the parcel shelf that I forgot on the small village pavement... (I drove back there in the afternoon and there it was waiting for me to pick it up.)


Bien sûr, cela ne rentre pas du tout dans la voiture. On parvient péniblement à rentrer l'une des jambes et le reste demeure désespérément en dehors du coffre... Aucune de nous n'a sur elle quelque chose de rouge pour attacher sur la partie du manteau de cheminée qui est dehors. Mais on prend quand même la route. Le voyage de retour dure bien plus longtemps car je n'ose pas conduire vite, terrifiée à l'idée de perdre le manteau de cheminée sur la route ou de rencontrer des policiers. Dès que l'on aperçoit un dos d'âne, on hurle comme des adolescentes dans un manège à Disneyland. Finalement, on arrive sans problème à la maison, le manteau de cheminée aussi... mais pas ma plage arrière que j'ai oubliée sur le trottoir du petit village et que je dois retourner chercher l'après-midi... Oui, oui, elle m'attendait sagement !

 
This story is one of my favourite memories linked to Cottage... It explains why I'm so attached to that mantel that I had fun decorating for the following years.

Cette histoire est un de mes souvenirs préférés liés à Cottage... C'est la raison pour laquelle je suis très attachée à cet élément que je me suis bien amusée à décorer les années suivantes.


So it broke my heart when all the contractors I met when I decided to add a stove to Cottage told me I had to get rid of the mantel. Some of the contractors couldn't understand why I wanted to keep something that looked so grandmotherly to them. One of them - the one I ended up working with - had obviously felt in love with what I had done with Cottage and so he listened to me. He also believed it was impossible to keep the mantel because the sides and the top were too close to the stove, but he said he could add a shelf higher so that I could keep decorating it.


Cela m'a donc brisé le cœur quand tous les entrepreneurs contactés pour l'installation du poêle m'ont dit qu'il fallait enlever le manteau de cheminée. Certains d'entre eux ne comprenaient pas du tout pourquoi je voulais garder ce vieux truc. L'un d'eux - celui avec lequel j'ai fini par signer - appréciait visiblement mon travail sur Cottage et il m'écoutait. Cependant, il pensait aussi qu'il était impossible de garder l'entourage qui était trop étroit pour les distances de sécurité, mais il proposait d'ajouter au dessus du poêle une étagère plus haute de façon à ce que je puisse la décorer.


I thought it was a nice compromise. And then suddenly, an idea hit me. I can't remember when exaclty, but most of my ideas come to me while I'm having a bath in that bathroom that is under renovation and you know nothing about.


Je me suis dit que c'était un bon compromis. Et soudain, j'ai eu une idée. Je ne sais plus quand exactement, mais le plus souvent mes idées me viennent quand je prends un bain dans ma salle-de-bains en pleine rénovation et dont vous ne savez rien.

What if we created the shelf using the top part of the mantel? I was pretty sure the contractors would say no as they usually all say when I come up with a design idea. But this one said "why not".


Et si on créait l'étagère en utilisant le haut du manteau de cheminée ? J'étais presque sûre que comme d'habitude quand j'ai des idées de rénovation on me répondrait que j'étais folle. Mais cette fois, la réponse fut : "pourquoi pas ?"

So after they did the technical part of adding a pipe to the existing chimney, the workers spent an awfully long time finding the best solution to get the mantel-shelf attached to the wall and to protect it from the fire. It stands at least ten inches above what  it was before for security reasons (Jotul gives precise measurements when it sells a stove) and under it, the workers added a non-flammable board that they cut to the exact measure of the mantel. I think they did a very good work. But the board is white...


Après s'être occupés de la partie technique du tubage de la cheminée existante, les ouvriers ont donc passé un bon moment pour trouver la meilleure solution de fixer le manteau-étagère au mur et de le protéger du feu. Il se trouve donc maintenant près de trente centimètres plus haut qu'auparavant (Jotul donne des mesures de sécurité très précises) et il est protégé par en dessous d'une plaque ininflammable, coupée exactement aux bonnes mesures. Je trouve qu'ils ont fait du bon travail. Mais la plaque est blanche...

To paint or not to paint the mantel had always been a question on my mind. I found the mantel unpainted, but it was quite traditionnal to paint the mantel in Brittany, given the number of painted ones we can find to buy on the Internet. Also, it was very dark compared to my other wood pieces that are pine. The white non-flammable board made up my mind, if I wanted it to blend in, I needed the mantel to be white.


Peindre ou ne pas peindre ce manteau de cheminée était une question que je me posais régulièrement. Je l'ai trouvé brut, mais on en voit souvent des peints à vendre sur Le Bon Coin, c'est donc assez traditionnel. Ce bois était assez sombre par rapport à mes meubles en pin. La plaque ininflammable blanche m'a décidée, si je voulais qu'elle se fonde dans le décor, le manteau devait être blanc.

The workers left me the weekend to sand, prim and paint the wall, the mantel and the floorboards before they came back with the stove. I'm not going to lie, it's not my best job. I had to do all the work in the weekend and it was the days just after Shadow's surgery, so I kept an eye on him at all times and the sanding isn't perfect, which shows a little when I turn the lights on in the evening... But, it's an old house, it can live with imperfection.

Les ouvriers m'ont laissé le week-end pour poncer, sous-coucher et peindre le mur, le manteau de cheminée et les plinthes avant de revenir poser le poêle. Je ne vais pas vous mentir, ce n'est pas là mon meilleur travail. C'était le week-end qui suivait la grosse opération de Shadow et je gardais constamment un oeil sur lui alors le ponçage n'est pas parfait, cela se voit un peu quand on allume, le soir... Mais c'est une vieille maison, elle peut supporter quelques imperfections.

Now, come back next time to see the  stove! Oh, and we'll talk paint colours as well, though if you're a regular reader, I bet you already know what I used.

Evidemment, vous devrez revenir la prochaine fois pour voir le poêle. Nous parlerons aussi couleur de peinture, mais je suis sûre que si vous êtes un lecteur régulier, vous les avez reconnues !

See you next time,

A la prochaine fois,

Hasta la proxima,



PS1: Just because...




45 comments:

  1. It's amazing how the best ideas come when you least expect them. The mantel looks super.

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  2. Comment ça des couleurs ?? rires, tu vas nous faire faire une belle découverte je suis sure ;-)
    j'adore les histoires que tu nous racontes avec Cottage, c'est toujours plein de surprises et d'aventures
    Belle et douce semaine

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  3. looking forward to seeing the fireplace area in it's finish

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  4. Quelle épopée ce poêle ! Les scénaristes des séries américaines sont largement dépassés par les aventures de Cottage ! Tu devrais songer à écrire des romans d'aventures... En tout cas, bravo pour le travail sur le manteau de cheminée... et le reste !

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  5. What a great metaphor to introduce. So true. If we can see the true inner beauty of anyone, anything, then we are more apt to continue the journey with them, or it! Cottage has good bones, and your love and devotion has brought forth some surprising details. I really love, and prefer, your second choice of mantle; the first one was GORGEOUS, but from a different era and architectual design. The latter, it's so cozy and rustic, and that's what Cottage is about. It's kind of like people. We need to let the spirit of those we love shine for what it truly is.

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  6. Magali me encanta me encanta esta super bien tu idea te felicito contare los dias para ver el resto que emocion !! Hasta la proxima ;)
    nelly

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  7. I have been following your journey with cottage since just before the kitchen transformation. Have really enjoyed every step of the way. I love all things vintage and love when seeing something beautiful restored and loved again. You have done a wonderful job and I can't wait to see your new stove. So glad you were able to use part of that lovely mantel. And I am betting you might have saved the legs of the mantel for another use. ;)

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    1. You're right! I'm keeping the legs of the mantel hoping to incorporate them into an other project.

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  8. AhhhhhI love that you reloved the mantel into a shelf for above your new stove. I cannot wait to see it all done. Love that you painted it white.
    Kris

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  9. I absolutely love this story! What an amazing journey you and the cottage are taking. I love the mantel and what you are doing to the living area. Can't wait to see the finished room.

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  10. Hi....it turned out Great..an how you came to find your mantel is a Fabulous story..an now you'll always have the memory of why the paint job isn't perfect..speaking of paint..i'm surprised you have it already..looking forward to seeing the stove you ended up with too..how is shadow making out now a days..hopefully he's done with getting himself hurt..also hoping you're having a good time whilst on your school break.!

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  11. So glad you could at least use part of it. It looks good white. Anxious to see the stove in place.

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  12. Love your perseverance...love the mantle...can't wait to see the finished space.

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  13. It's beautiful! The white looks so perfect. I can just see your beautiful white stove installed and you sitting in front of the fire with a nice cup of tea holding your kitties! Love it!
    xoxo Jo

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  14. I love seeing and reading about what you and Cottage are up to.

    Of the 3 houses we have owned, the first did not have a fireplace. None of the houses we rented prior to buying had a fireplace, but we both agreed that a fireplace was essential. We use it from October through March and then we move outside to the fire pit.

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  15. No fireplace here. I do miss having a mantel to decorate.
    Brenda

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  16. Fabulous report prose Magali! I'm so glad we've had fireplaces in every home we've owned. They add so much!

    xxx

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  17. Thank goodness for people like you who could see the inner beauty of Cottage and bring him back to such handsome-ness. Looking forward to the next pictures and story.

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    1. Thanks! I took pictures today and hope to find time to write the post next weekend!

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  18. great idea to keep the mantel as a shelf!

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  19. I didn't think to cut the mantel, very nice:). The paint color will be one of the sea colors? Mr, Cottage will have a cozy living room when it's all said and done. Hope your kitty Shadow is feeling much better.
    Kathleen in Az

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    1. After much reflexion, there won't be sea colours around the stove... Shadow is feeling better... until next fight, that is!

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  20. Can't wait to see the finished space with your stove. It will look splendid and cozy, I'm sure.

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  21. I love that you were able to use the mantel by cutting it down. It looks perfectly perfect. I also love the sconces too. It may be a shelf but it looks like a mantel...a great place for some pretry vignettes.

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  22. You have done wonders in your cute little cottage! Love it.

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  23. What a perfect solution! I'm glad that contractor listened to you.

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  24. C'est toujours ce que je dis, ne rien faire dans la précipitation, les solutions par défaut ne sont pas toujours les bonnes, la preuve en est. Je sens que ça va être ravissant, pour ce que j'en vois, ça l'est déjà.
    Des idées mûrement réfléchies..........le TOP.
    J'attends l'image finale avec impatience.
    Caresses aux griffus. Bises. Babette

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  25. I always enjoy reading the history of Cottage. You have great vision and I'm so happy you have a contractor who "gets it" and is willing to help you realize your dreams. That's how it was when I was working with our builder. And especially when I approached his woodworker with my idea for our mantel. He understood my goal and helped achieve it. Which is exactly what an excellent contractor will do. Love your mantel painted white and look forward to the final reveal. xo

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  26. What a wonderful story cottage keeps telling us. I can't wait to see the stove when it is in. You will be so cozy this winter. xo Laura

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    1. I do hope I'll be cosy because for now I have trouble having the wood delivered to my narrow street!

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  27. You and cottage were meant for one another. You know just what he needs and he is glowing with his new look. Great ideas you have and I am so glad to know you were able to have a mantle. I love how you've decorated it in the past. Can't wait to see that stove and what about the bathroom I know nothing about? Love what you are doing...........

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  28. Everything is looking so lovely, and I can't wait to see the new stove!! I'm glad you were able to keep your mantle, and what a great story about how you acquired it! I have a Jotul stove and I love it - it was expensive but worth every penny and saves me a ton on my oil bills!

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  29. I always love hearing about your renovation stories at the cottage. I'm glad you were able to keep part of the mantel to use as a shelf! Can't wait to see all of this in its completion.

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  30. I'm glad you were able to salvage some of the mantle. I think it looks fabulous painted white!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  31. I admire your dedication to Cottage. I'm so glad you get to have a bit of mantel. It will be so enjoyable to decorate it for special occasions or for the seasons. I look forward to seeing the stove when it's installed.

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    1. I really love decorating the mantel, it's a relief I could keep some of it! The new post will be up tomorrow!

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  32. I did truly love the original wood of the mantel and mourn its loss, but what must be must be. Wondering if you are using the rest of the fireplace surround in another room? I would put it in my bedroom and make it look like a fireplace setting.

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    1. The rest of the surround has been saved and I have an idea how I want to use it, provided that I find a carpenter willing to work on that new project!

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  33. une cheminée aurait occupé un trop grand espace, le poêle sera donc tout adapté aux volumes douillets du salon de Cottage !
    l'entreprise est bien compréhensive et sympa d'avoir contribuer à l'installation de l'ancien manteau de cheminée
    l'habillement "tout blanc" met en valeur le mur de pierres et laissera le regard aller vers le poêle qui, même s'il est blanc, se remarquera par son foyer
    j'ai hâte de voir la suite !!! monique59

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